It is no surprise that Infographics are quickly becoming one of the most popular ways for a website to display information. It can sometimes be tough to find readers patient enough to understand a very confusing topic, and it can be even more difficult to capture a reader’s attention—especially when the subject matter is dry or boring. This is where infographics come perfectly into play. According to researchers, about 87% of people who saw an infographic read the accompanying text while only 41% read the text of a traditional page of content.

In terms of SEO, infographic links have always been given the same weight as links found in an article. And why shouldn’t they be? After all, infographics also use information that needs to be cited, and they serve a very similar purpose as traditional articles. So what’s the problem with these links in relation to SEO? The problem is that Google isn’t sure if holding these links to the same standard as other backlinks is the best idea.

What Cutts Is Saying about Infographic Links

In an interview with Eric Enge and SMX Advanced, Cutts explained that Google is thinking about discounting links that come from infographics. This threw everyone for a loop because many companies are just now beginning to ramp up their infographic tactics. Cutts didn’t say that Google is doing this now, but he had a few reasons that suggest it’s something Google will likely consider for the future:

Fact checking is often poor when it comes to infographics.

People don’t always know what they are linking to when they republish an infographic. They might not mean to endorse that link; they might just like the way the infographic looks.

Links are often embedded into infographics in a way that people don’t even notice. In other words, even if someone were to look at the links before republishing, they might miss it completely.

Once the facts are laid out, many experts agree that it was only a matter of time before something like this was coming. People have slowing been beginning to create spammy infographics and distributing them all across the web. Something has to be done in relation to SEO.

Are Infographics Still Worth Your Time?

Now for the real question: Are infographics still worth it for webmasters? Most industry leaders agree that infographics are still worthwhile; however it’s probably not best to put your entire SEO strategy on infographics alone. Try to use a variety of SEO tactics and be careful about the links you use in your infographics.

Infographics are still eye catching and can still express information clearly, just make sure that your information is correct. You can learn more about how to create a successful infographic here as well as some of the elements that go into a successful infographic.

Do you think Matt Cutts and Google are on the right track as they consider discounting infographic links? Will this deter you from producing infographics? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Amanda DiSilvestro gives small business and entrepreneurs SEO advice ranging from keyword density to recovering from Panda and Penguin updates. She writes for Highervisibility, a nationally recognized SEO firm that offers online marketing services to a wide range of companies across the country.